Formula 1: The chance Williams must take for 2024

Williams are the only team with an open full-time seat going into the 2024 Formula 1 season, and there is a clear decision they should make.

Rookie Logan Sargeant’s contract with Williams is set to expire at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 season, and it has not yet been confirmed whether he will continue with the team in 2024.

AlphaTauri recently confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda are set to continue as their drivers for next year, meaning that Liam Lawson remains without a full-time seat for 2024, despite having done well in his four races as Ricciardo’s injury replacement.

Sargeant’s first season in Formula 1 has been far from impressive, and his Williams seat has been at risk for quite some time now. The American has continuously struggled throughout the year and been simply unable to make the transition into being a Formula 1 driver.

The 22-year-old’s mistakes have been plentiful and have resulted in several crashes throughout the season, leaving him sitting atop the “world destructor standings” through 16 of 22 races.

Even his non-DNF results have been rather horrid, especially in comparison to those of teammate Alex Albon. Albon has consistently gotten the best out of the FW45 this season, and with Williams looking for more upward trajectory over the next few seasons, Sargeant needs to be replaced.

Liam Lawson is a talented young driver who is still available on the Formula 1 free agent market.

Having been passed up by AlphaTauri, Lawson appears to be a great – likely the best, for that matter – option for Williams to pair alongside Albon in 2024. Despite having only raced four times this season, his overall poise and performance show that he is a good fit for a full-time seat in Formula 1.

A potential pairing of Albon and Lawson combined with an improved car would make Williams much more competitive. Evidence of their progress would be shown if they can put up a fight for P6 in the constructor standings, as they currently reside in a distant P7 with no points from Sargeant.

Additionally, the budget Williams have for the following season would be better spent on upgrades to their car rather than fixing it from frequent crashes into the barrier.

Williams signing Lawson would prove very beneficial for both parties in several regards. As such, the Grove-based team should make the move for the 21-year-old New Zealander when they announce their lineup for the 2024 season.